MPs hoping to add some glamour to their second homes can spend up to £10,000 on a kitchen, £750 on a stereo and £300 on air conditioning all at taxpayers' expense, according to a document made public last night. The John Lewis List, based on prices from the department store, shows the maximum amount that MPs have been able to claim on expenses for 38 household items, although it does not reveal individual claimants.

Parliamentary officials had previously declined to release the list, fearing that MPs would automatically claim the maximum amount available for each item. But last night the Press Association accessed the list through the Freedom of Information Act.

The list shows MPs can claim up to £1,000 for a bed and £200 for a blender. Dry cleaning of clothes and household items is permitted "within reasonable limits". The document also refers to a ban on claims for "antique, luxury or premium-grade" furnishings and "extravagant or luxurious" items. It says John Lewis is used as a guide because of its leading position in a Which? survey in February last year.

Last night Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the Taxpayers' Alliance, said John Lewis was "hardly the cheapest place to purchase household goods". He added: "When MPs start revealing all expenses over £25, hopefully they'll be encouraged to shop around on the internet and hunt down the best deals like the rest of us."

Labour MP David Winnick said: "It does look rather expensive for [some] items and obviously the public will say, why should John Lewis be the benchmark?"

Last month Andrew Walker, the Commons director general of resources, told an information tribunal hearing: "My concern would be that if we say what the maximum price we will allow for such an item is, it will become the going rate."

The tribunal ruled details of the list should be published saying its "laxity and lack of clarity ... constitute a recipe for confusion, inconsistency and the risk of misuse".

Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker, who has campaigned for greater openness on expenses, said: "I think the public will think this is more unnecessary expenditure by MPs. It's difficult to say why £750 should be paid for a television set. I think I spent about £50 on mine."

He also criticised the Commons' decision to release the information at the very end of the week in Westminster, when most MPs were returning to their constituencies for the weekend.

Under the Freedom of Information Act, the Commons had until Monday to respond to the Press Association's request. Baker said: "They've decided the least damaging time to release it is 4.30pm on a Thursday afternoon. It's standard practice. It's just surprising they didn't wait for a royal wedding."

Publication of the list comes amid heightened scrutiny of MPs' expenses after the Conservative MP Derek Conway was found to have overpaid his son out of his parliamentary allowances.

Conway was stripped of the Tory whip and expelled from the Commons for 10 days, and the incident prompted a review of the system of MPs' expenses by the Commons members estimate committee. That review, which is due to be completed by July, may lead to reform of the additional costs allowance, a payment which can be claimed by all MPs who do not represent constituency in central London.

This week the committee announced that MPs would have to start providing receipts for all expenses claims above £25 from April 1. Until now, MPs have been able to claim up to £250 without receipts.

Nick Clegg, the Lib Dem leader, said: "Clearly the recent scandals about MPs' pay and expenses have delivered a real hammer blow to public confidence in politics. It needs to change rapidly."